Objectives

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum's mission is to honor our heroes, educate the public and inspire our youth. With this mission as our beacon, the Museum engineered a fundraising campaign using Facebook live to support the preservation of a central piece of the collection—The Grumman TBM-3E Avenger. Over the course of four episodes broadcast on Facebook live, the Museum's team shared stories from the Avenger's remarkable history and illuminated the science behind how this WWII-era aircraft will be preserved forever.

Currently on view on Intrepid's Hangar Deck, the Avenger is the oldest aircraft in the Museum's collection and a fan-favorite! It is used in nearly every program offered by the Museum--from guided tours for visitors from around the world, to programs for Veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, to programs for homeless youth, to professional development programs for New York City public school teachers, and so much more. Earlier this year, the Museum's aircraft restoration team discovered that the Avenger was in need of restoration, as years of wear and tear began to affect areas of the wings and other significant areas of the aircraft's exterior. We are always looking for exciting ways to share stories from Intrepid's time in service so the Museum's Individual Giving and Marketing teams collaborated to create the Avenger Live series with the goals of supporting the preservation of this WWII era feat of engineering and to raise awareness of the brilliance and bravery of Intrepid's crew.

Strategy and Execution

Beginning on April 26, 2018, the Museum's Individual Giving and Marketing teams scripted, produced and shot 4 episodes which aired live on Facebook once a week for 4 consecutive weeks. To maximize awareness and build audience excitement for these live broadcasts, the Marketing team published pre-promotion messaging through dedicated email blasts, reminders on social media and a post on the Museum's blog. During the live feed, we encouraged the audience to submit questions about the Avenger, which were answered on air. In addition to ICYMI-style messaging via email blasts, each video was pinned to the top of our channel's feed to encourage viewership after each broadcast. Finally, our call to action drove viewers to a custom donation page where gifts could be transacted in only one click.

The first episode in the series—led by the Museum's curator of Aviation—introduced the aircraft as an essential link to Intrepid's service in the Pacific theater during WWII, discussed its revolutionary wing design, and shared information on the work required to preserve this iconic aircraft. The second episode was led by a Senior Tour Guide who shared a harrowing tale of an Intrepid aviator who sunk the world's largest battleship while piloting an Avenger. The third and fourth episodes also mined stories from the men who flew this technological marvel. Each episode was anchored by a demonstration from one of the Museum's aircraft restoration specialists.

Results

The campaign resulted in nearly $2,500 in donations and over 5,000 Facebook Live views. As of the date of this submission, we have recorded a total reach of 13,589 for the campaign's live videos.

Media